LEWISVILLE, Texas - The Trinity University women extended their lead heading into the final day of the 2016 SCAC Swimming and Diving Championships which are being contested at the LISD Westside Aquatic Center. Official Website | Friday's Complete Results | Team Scores
The Trinity women have 632 points and hold a 77.5 point lead over second-place Colorado College, which has 554.50 points. Southwestern University is in third with 413 points followed by Centenary College with 230 points, McMurry University with 215.50 points and Austin College with 205 points.
The Texas Tigers got a huge boost with a big showing on the 3-meter board. Trinity took four of the top five places, which included another win by defending champion Sarah Mrkonich who repeated in the event with 464.30 points. Teammate Danielle Freund was second with 458.35 points while Mary Rose Donahue of Colorado College finished in third with 424.60 points.
Back in the pool, Colorado College's Megan Gillespie posted a NCAA 'B' cut result with a winning time of 4:35.47 in the 400 yard IM. Last year's champion Rebecca Andruzzi of Trinity was second in a time of 4:38.10 while fellow Tiger Ivy Claflin was third in a time of 4:39.82.
In the 100 yard butterfly, Colorado College's Olivia Dilorati repeated as champion and broke her own SCAC meet and open records she had established earlier in the morning as she touched the wall in a NCAA 'B' cut qualifying time of 55.22. Her teammate Ellen Silk was second in a time of 56.90 and also achieved a NCAA 'B' cut. Trinity's Paige Johnson was third in a time of 58.57.
Trinity's Lauren Cuda finished first in the 200 yard freestyle with a winning time of 1:55.59. It was the fourth consecutive year that a Trinity student-athlete had won the event. Colorado College took the next three places, including second and third place finishes from Erin Holmes (1:55.72) and Emily Harrison (1:57.33).
Lindsay Hagmann of Trinity defeated defending champion Megan Gillespie of Colorado College in the 100 yard breaststroke with a winning swim of 1:06.97. Gillespie was second in 1:07.24 while Trinity's Kara Beauchamp was third in a time of 1:07.57.
In the final individual event of the evening, McMurry's Robyn Remschel made history as she posted the program's first-ever individual win at the SCAC championships, taking first-place with a SCAC-record swim of 56.29 in the 100 yard backstroke. Her time also set a new SCAC open record and was good enough to qualify as a NCAA 'B' cut. Austin College's Lauren Wheeler, who won the event a year ago, finished second in a time of 58.58. Trinity's Paige Johnson placed third in a time of 58.69.
The Colorado College women's 400-yard medley relay team of Dilorati, Gillespie, Silk and Justina Zuckerman posted the program's third straight victory in the event with a winning swim of 3:55.76. Trinity was second in a time of 4:03.67 while Southwestern placed third with a time of 4:05.86.
Competition continues on Saturday with preliminaries beginning at 10:30 a.m. and finals at 6:15 p.m. Click here for the complete schedule of events.